


Common Ground

by MissObsession



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Flashbacks, Not Canon Compliant, Not Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant, Self-Indulgent, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:15:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28939083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissObsession/pseuds/MissObsession
Summary: The Winter Soldier has reappeared in Natasha's life, and she has a lot to unpack. Does he remember her? If he does, does he feel the same about her as he did all those years ago? Prequel/companion piece to Baby Wonder.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Common Ground

**Author's Note:**

> Meet Baby Wonders sister Common Ground! I haven't seen much in the way of multichapter Bucky/Nat presented in the way I enjoy, so I'm going to make my own happiness here! Eventually, this piece will catch up to Baby Wonder and I will use it to unpack a lot that doesn't fit there.  
> The title comes from the song Common Ground by Our Last Night, I felt the lyrics were fitting. I'm not sure how much of an audience this will pull, but give it a chance if you like the way I write Natasha or are curious about the pairing!

Natasha wondered what she had been doing when it happened. Had she been wrapping up training? Showering? Scraping that last spoonful of bunny tracks ice cream from the corner of the tub? She had been absent mindedly flipping through comm channels when Sharon put out the call that Fury was down and unresponsive and her heart had stopped. She didn’t think, she just moved, and next thing she knew she was throwing her car in park outside the hospital and standing in front of the operating theatre, mildly aware of Steve clutching the base of the window beside her. Truth be told she had been bored that night, and now she was paying for it. 

“Is he gonna make it?” She grit her jaw in an effort to remain level headed as Nick lay before them, a sheet of blood soaked gauze draped across his body as the doctors worked.

“I don’t know.” Steve's voice was equally as flat, and she knew he was already blaming himself too. On to business then.

“Tell me about the shooter.”

“He’s fast. Strong.” He shifted his weight before continuing, like he wasn't sure how to phrase what he was about to say next. “Had a metal arm.”

Natashas jaw went slack as she felt all the air leave her body as it settled on her. She was choking on nothing, her lungs frozen, not letting air in or out. She felt physically sick as her eyes followed a pair of blood soaked shears as they hit the pan in the operating theatre. She hoped it wasn’t true, but she was nobody's fool. It was him.

Maria stepped up beside her, and she forced herself to speak.

“Ballistics?”

“Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable.” Her voice was soft as she watched Nick, nobody daring to look away though Steve let his head drop. Natasha felt tears welling in her eyes now, sharp, hot tears fighting their way up through her tear ducts, demanding to be noticed as she sank further and further into the truth. It was him. She chewed her lip in an attempt to compose herself, but as her eyes glassed over she was met with her own shaken face staring back; her distorted reflection in the glass. The tears welling up in the eyes staring back at her danced around a thought in the back of her mind. Natasha was relieved it was him. He was still out there alive, if it could be called that.

“Soviet made.”

She watched Maria turn to look at her, shocked that she seemed to have knowledge on the rounds. Natasha chewed her lip again, teeth biting down into soft flesh, and Maria confirmed her suspicions before looking back to the theatre as a commotion began.

Her surroundings blurred as they rolled a crash cart to Nick, everyone scrambling to check his levels and prepare for defibrillation. The flatline seemed to blare out at her from the other side of the glass, a hollow, piercing note.

“Don’t do this to me Nick.” She began a desperate chant as all attempts failed, and heaved an empty breath as they called a time of death. Steve hung his head and turned out of the room, followed by Maria, but she stood there watching as everyone around her moved on. She just couldn't look away. She had to be sure this was really happening, that he wasn't going to sit up the second she turned away and be saved miraculously. She had failed him. Even as they wheeled him out in preparation for the morgue, she watched him. He was so still. Too still. But maybe-

“Natasha.” Steve stood behind her now, and Natasha broke free of her trance, laying a hand on Nick's head to bid him farewell before going straight back to work. She turned without a word, and headed down the hall. Steve would follow her, want to make sure she was okay, but he was lying to her. Something else happened tonight; there was a reason Nick went to see him and he was keeping it from her.

“Natasha!”

Right on cue. She stopped and turned to face him. He had one chance. “Why was Fury in your apartment?”

He rubbed his hands down the front of his pants and sighed, eyes darting as he scrambled. Exactly what she thought. He was keeping something from her.

“I don’t know.”

“Cap, they want you back at S.H.I.E.L.D.” Rumlow came around the corner, just in time to save Steves ass, she noted as she stared unwaveringly, demanding the truth. He had to know she knew he was lying.

“Yeah, gimme a sec.”

“They want you now.” The firmness in Rumlows voice caught her attention this time, and she looked to him as well. Something bigger was happening here.

“Okay.” Steve met him with his tone and expression, and it seemed to do the trick.

“You’re a terrible liar.” Natasha let the venom in her eyes do the work for her, and took off down the hall. She needed time to think.

When she reached the lobby the tension bubbled over when she saw her car was gone, and of course it was. She had hardly put it in park at the entrance before running inside.

“Miss?” A security guard began approaching her, stepping out of the toll booth to the side of the building, and she huffed and headed down the street. She didn’t have time for tickets and tow companies right now. She hailed a cab easily enough once she was closer to the main road and slid into the back seat, gruffly giving the address of the compound before slumping against the window and bracing herself for what she knew was coming. The Winter Soldier. James. 

Barnes had been an instructor during her time in the Red Room what felt like a lifetime ago. He was saved for only the most promising and elite members of the group to train under. Not much was known about him at the time, but through a bit of snooping with Yelena she discovered he was on a loan from an agency called Hydra, that he had been injected with a super soldier serum and could be brainwashed into anything needed for a mission. What they hadn't learned then was that he was a man out of time, taken in 1945 and kept on ice until he was needed. She hardly made it into the lobby before breaking down, shoving open the door to the nearest office and slamming it shut before bracing herself against the desk.

  * •••



“She is very good. You will find her to your liking.” The icy haired woman clasped her hands behind her back as they came to a stop in front of a one way mirror that showcased a training space. The mirror wasn't there to ensure their anonymity, that was for sure. The Soldier looked at the woman slowly, watching her skin draw into tight wrinkles as she pursed her lips, listlessly watching two younger women sparring on the other side of the mirror, her eyes turning glassy like a snake’s. She looked unimpressed, yet he followed her gaze.

“Which one?” His voice was level as he followed the swift movements through the glass, seeming relatively evenly matched. The blonde woman seemed a bit more loose with her fighting style, whereas the red haired woman attacked with even intensity, every move precise and measured.

“Whichever you choose. Natalia and Yelena are two of the best in our program, though Natalia gets marks for being our youngest Widow to complete training to date.” The older woman smiled a bit at that, but her face quickly fell back to a standard neutral as Yelena flipped Natalia to the floor. He expected them to get back into position and start again, but instead Yelena extended her hand to Natalia who accepted it and laughed.

“She is immature.” He frowned, and turned to their handler.

“She is inexperienced in the field, Soldat. She shows promise to change the world for us if given the proper mentor.” The handler furrowed her brow as Natalia felled Yelena in a fraction of their last spar.

“It is decided then.” He turned gruffly from the window, and the woman turned after him.

"Would you like to work her? Before you decide?"

Her words echoed down the hall, and the Soldier stopped.

"You think I have chosen poorly?"

"Not at all. Natalia meets every mark, I simply wondered if you would prefer a test drive, so to say."

"That will not be necessary. Send her to my office when she is finished."

Forty-five minutes later there was a sharp rap at the cold metal door, and the Soldier exhaled from his spot against the concrete wall beside the door.

"Come in." He called out evenly, and watched as the door swung open and Natalia entered. She was in a more casual outfit now, form fitting black cotton instead of her training clothes. He watched a drop of water slip from the ends of her fiery red hair before launching himself at her, his arm shooting out across her chest.

Without missing a beat she had him by the wrist, twisting his arm backwards and putting herself in position to strengthen her advantage as the droplet hit the floor.

He expected this from her, of course, and swept her legs quickly, sending her to the floor back out in the hall.

"You have much to learn." He offered her a hand, and she took it roughly, shock and irritation evident on her face.

"I was not expecting a fight Soldat." A slight twinkle crept into her eyes, and he let go of her now that she was standing, uncomfortable with their proximity.

"You must always expect a fight." He turned away, irritation apparent in his body language.

“Yes Soldat.” She shifted uncomfortably, a million questions hanging in the air, and she didn’t have permission to ask a single one.

“That will be all, for now.” He waved her away and she let out a low growl as she tore off down the hall. Who the hell did he think he was? Just attacking her like that out of the blue? He spent the afternoon watching her spar and train with Yelena like animals forced to fight for scraps in a ring, what more did he need? She was told she was going to a meeting, not walking face first into a test. No. Her mistake, she corrected herself as she reached the end of the hall. Everything was a test here, she should have known better. Of course she should have been ready. She was made to be ready, molded to expect anything. She had failed.

The Soldier watched her shoulders drop from their tense position as she turned the corner, realizing he had made her angry. The corner of his mouth ticked up at the notion, nearly his first discernable display of emotion since he had been taken out of the ice a few days prior. He shook his head lightly as he set his jaw, composing himself again. He had made her angry.


End file.
